*In an effort to nullify the election of President Bola Tinubu, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Mr. Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) have separately lodged appeals before the Supreme Court. They argue that the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) erred in its judgment by affirming Tinubu’s victory in the February 25 presidential election.
Atiku and Obi claim that the PEPC made critical legal errors, including failing to consider their evidence of manipulation of the election, non-compliance with the Electoral Act, and the deliberate non-transmission of election results electronically by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). They also assert that the requirement for the candidate to secure at least 25% of the votes in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was not met.
Atiku further emphasizes that INEC’s regulations and guidelines for the election had the force of law, and INEC’s failure to comply with electronic transmission requirements was nationwide, affecting the entire polling units and collation of results.
Both Atiku and Obi seek various reliefs from the Supreme Court, including declaring the election null and void, ordering a run-off, or a fresh election.
The appeals raise significant legal questions and will be closely watched as they could have far-reaching implications for the outcome of the presidential election and the broader political landscape in Nigeria.
